Press



Jan. 2, 1923 5 SHEETS'SHEET 2 PRESS.

F LED MAR. 29. 1920.

Invenior (ThaWZes fl.Me23seZ.

C. A. MElSEL.

Jan: 2, 1923.

Pizzss v FILED MAR. 29, 1920.

5 SHEETS'SHEET 3 lmvemi ow 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4 l I mveniow Oias (/1 .Meise2, y z 1 PRESS. FILED MAR.

C. A. MEISEL mm aw Jan. 2, 1923.

Jan. 2, 1923. 1,440,787

C. A. MEISEL, PREss.

FILED MAR 29, 1920. Bs E' TS-SHEET 5 a w 8 mummy n n g B n 1% I I l i n.l! 1L, W

Imam-602 (Ya/arias QSLMQBZJSGZ,

Patented Jan. 2, i923.

oars stars mart;

PEEW' CHARLES A. MEISEL, OF DORCHESCZER, MASSAQHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR Tll'IEISEL PRESS IEANUFACTURING COIVIPAL'JY, OF DORGHESTER,1.IASSACHU$ETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PRESS;

Application filed March 29, 1920. Serial No. 369,598.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. Mann, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Dorchester, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Presses, of which the followingdescription, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is aspecification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

7 This invention relates to printing presses and in its more specificaspects topresses wherein a plurality of impressions are made on asingle sheet of paper, as in color work.

' As an illustrative embodiment of my invention, I here show afour-color, rotary press and shall describe the same in detail,reserving for the claims the statement of the novel principlesexemplified thereby.

The following specific description of an example of my invention may betaken in connection with the accompaning drawings, wherein: r

F ig. l is a side elevation of the press as seen from the left, partsbeing omitted and left being understood as the left hand of a personfacing in the direction in which paper passes through the press;

2 is a side elevation as seen from the right;

Fig. 3 is a general schematic view, the point of view being from theright;

Fig. 4c is a central vertical section through the air control valve;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view through a gripper bar andcooperating mechanism immediately adjacent a printing couple;

Fig. 6 is a. plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a radial section showing parts of the mechanism of 6 inelevation, and

Fig. 8 is a detailed section through an air nozzle.

Referring to the illustrative embodiment of my invention illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, I may utilize a series of printing couples,in number corresponding to the desired number of impressions, and I haveherein (see Fig. 3) shown four such couples, each embodying a plate roll17 and an impression roll 19. These couples are preferably ranged abouta circle in such manner that the lines of contact between the rolls whenthey are in printing position correspond to the. elements of, animaginary cylinder, the word elements being usedin the geometricalsense. Preferably the rolls are confined to the upper half of thecylinder. The plate rolls 17 may be journalled insuitable frames 21 and23 and the impression rolls 19 are journalled in suitable boxes 25slidable in such frames. The frames 21 and 23 are also provided withsuitable supporting surfaces 27 for inking mechanism of desired type,not shown.

For driving the rolls, 1 here illustrate a train of gearing best shownin Fig. land comprising a shaft 29 adapted to be driven by any suitableform of motor or prime mover and having a pinion 31 meshing with a gearWheel 33 with which turns the pinion 35 meshing with the large gearwheel37 the shaft of which may convenientlybe substantially axial of thecylindrical surface about 5 which the printing couples are disposed,this shaft being herein shown as journalled in the frame 21 and in anauxiliary support 39. The large gear 37 meshes with gear wheels 41 whichare fast to the ends of the journals of plate rolls 17. The journals ofthese rolls also carry gear wheels adapted to meshwith similar gears 14on the journals of impression rolls 19 to drive the same. I may alsoprovide the flat-faced wheels 45 and 47 (Fig. 2) at opposite ends of thejournals of rolls 17 and 19, respectively, the faces of these wheelsbearing on each other when the impression roll is in contact with theplate roll and serving to hold the parts in proper relation. to insurethe required action of the ameter as the circle about which the print--ing couples are ranged. The gripper bars 49 are supported by means ofsuitable brackets as shown in Q 5, exteriorly of the gears in suchmanner that the paper is held substantially on the pitch line. The gears51 correspond to the bases of the cylinder of which the lines of contactof each printing couple are elements and with the gripper bars form asort of lantern wheel of which the gripper bars are, the trundles.

To move the gripper bars orbitally to carry the paper through theprinting couples in succession, the annular gears 51 may be revolved andthey may take motion from gears mounted on the journal of the platecylinders 17 and turning with them. To support the paper in its passagethrough the couples and to control the handling thereof in the efficientmanner hereafter more fully to be explained, supporting surfaces (seeFig. 8) are provided between successive printing couples, these surfacespreferably taking the form of cylindrical segments and lying in thecylindrical path swept-out by the gripper bars 19 as the gears 51rotate. The lines of contact between the plate and impression rolls ofthe printing couples lie in this same cylindrical surface betweensuccessive supporting surfaces.

in the present example of the invention l have shown means forpneumatically controlling the paper as it passes over the surfaces 59and between successive printing couples. Closely adjacent the intakeside of the couple (see Fig. 5) there are provided air ports 61 by whichsuction may be ap plied to the paper as it is carried forward by the griper bar. In 6 l have shown a single row of these ports and although theports n ed not be in strict alignment they preferably constitute in asense a single row in that they are disposed solely along a narrow zoneimmediately acent the printing couple. Particularly when the suction istimed relatively to the passage of the sheet as hereinafter explainedthis provides for a continuous and constant retarding suction on thepaper it is carried forward through the printing couple, keeping itsmoothly tensioned behind the gripper bar 19 in the cylindrical path ofconstant curvature defined by the supporting surfaces 59 and insuresperfect registration of successive imprints. By continuous suction Irefer to a suction which is constantly exerted on the sheet in suchmanner that there may be no chattering of the same during its passage.By constant suction I mean a suction of unvarying value during thepassage of the sheet. For example, if a sheetis dragged over aperforated surface and subjected to a suction exerted therethrough, thepressure varies in accordance with the number of openings which thesheet covers as it passes to and from the surface.

As shown in Fig. 5, the ports 61 are herein formed directly through thesupporting surface itself and to exhaust air therethrough I may providea header or pipe 63 lase /e7 extending beneath the surface to which areconnected nozzles 65 extending forwardly into the space between therolls 17 and 19 0f the printing couple. Herein as perhaps best shown inFig. 8 the nozzles 65 are provided with hub-like portions 67, fittingthe header 6?) and adapted to be clamped thereto by the arms 69. A.suitable chamber 71 in the hub portion 67 communicates with a port '73in the header pipe 63 and from this chamber a passage 75 opens to apassage 77, herein a groove, extending to the ends of the nozzles. Thepassage 77, as best shown in Fig. 6, is preferably of a f shape topermit a single nozzle to supply a series of the ports 61. Herein thegroove 77 is open at the top and closed by'the supporting plate 59through which are formed the ports 61 registering with the transverse 3"head of the groove.

1 preferably provide means for controlling the air pressure exerted.through the ports 61 in such manner that the suction starts just as thesheet of paper held by the gripper bar 41-9 comes into position over theports 61, remains in action as long as the sheet is over these ports andis cut off as the sheet leaves. Herein I have shown the suction ascontrolled by a single timed valve, conveniently of rotary type.Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, herein the shaft 79 of the gear 37 shown inFig. 1 may be hollow and receive an exhaust pipe 81 connected to anysuitable exhauster. The exhaust pipe opens to a suitable chamber hereinconsisting of a cup-like casing 88 supported on a bracket 85 from frame531 and closed by a plate 87, the parts being suitably packed asillustrated in F 1 in a manner unnecessary to describe in detail.

Mounted on shaft 79 and rotating in the chamber formed by parts 83 and87 and about the pipe 81 is a valve disc 89 having, as shown in Fig. 3,suitable cut away portions 91 which correspond in angular position tothe position of the gripper bars 4-.9 about the gears 51. Suitable pipes93 con nect the headers 63 to the casing 88 and the edge of the valvedisc, provided with suitable packing 95, closes the ports opening tothese pipes and as the valve disc revolves the cut away portions 91uncover these ports and cause air to be drawn through the noz- Zles. Thesuction is thus readily controlled in correlation with the passage ofthe paper sheets held by the several gripper bars. This centralizedcontrol is particularly fa cilitated by the construction of the presssince all the parts rotate about a common center and the angular speedof the valve disc 89 is the same as that of the carrier consisting ofthe ring gears 51 and the connecting gripper bars 49.

In the press here illustrated l have also shown means for mechanicallysmoothing out the sheet as it passes from supporting surface 59 to theprinting couple to be printed upon, this means being in the presentinstance adapted to exert a sort of frictional drag on the face of thesheet. Referring to Figs. 4:, 5 and 6, I have therein shown a bar 97extending parallel to the axes of the cylinders of the couple andtransversely of the supporting surface 59 immediately above the same andadjacent-the intake side of the couple. The bar is supported in endbrackets 99 having square studs 101 slidably received by radial slots102 in the brackets 103 which are secured to the side frames of thepress. Suitable springs 105 normally tend to draw the bar downwardly inthe slots, these springs being herein connected to pins 107 passingthrough the lugs 101 and the hubs of the brackets 99. Adjustably mountedfor longitudinal shifting movement of the bar 97 are clamps 109constituting carriers for brushes 111 which, as best shown in Fig. 5,may be provided with threaded stems 113 passing through ears 115 on theclamps, between which ears are received knurled nuts 117 which permit aradial adjustment of the brushes. When the bar 99 is lowered under theinfluence of the springs so that the lugs 101 lie at the inner ends ofthe slots 103, the brushes are adapted to make contact with the paper onthe supporting surface 59. It will be understood that when a sheet isbeing printed on with successive impressions the brushes of the lattersets viewing Fig. 3 may not come in contact with the inked surface.Herein provision is made by the clamps 109 for adjusting the brushes sothat certain of them may be turned up out of the way if necessary andthose which are used shall make contact with the unprinted margins ofthe sheet or intermediate unprinted zones. As the paper passes forwardunder the brushes these smooth out and tension the same over thesupporting surfaces 59.

Suitable means are provided for lifting the brushes and lowering theminto cooperation with the sheet. and herein suitable cams 119 (Figs. 5and 7) arecprovided adjacent the ends of the gripper bar 19 whichcooperate with cam rolls 121 carried on the pins 107. The action ofthese will be clearly understood from Fig. 5. As the gripper barapproaches the cross bar 97 carrying the brushes, it will be graduallyraised to the position shown in Fig. 5 with asmooth easy motion and thenwill be lowered under the influence of the springs 105 into contact withthe paper extending rearwardly from the.

gripper bar 4-9 over the supporting surface 59. As the gripper baradvances further to carry the paper between the cylinders of theprinting couple the brushes will bear frictionally on the paper,smoothing the same out and tensioning it over the convex supportingsurface.

The impression roll 19 should, of course, be pressed against the platecylinder 17 solely when paper is interposed between them, and it is forthis purpose that the roll 19 is journalled in the boxes 25 mounted toslide substantially radially in the frames 21 and23. For operating theroll, may providetoggles 123 so arranged that w ien straightened, asshown in the second and fourth instances in 3, the impression roll 19will be pressed upwardly against the plate roll 17 and when broken willbe drawn inwardly out of contact therewith, as shown in thefirst andthird instances.v For operating the toggle there may be provided a link125 worked by a bell crank 127 secured at one end to the link 125 andhaving at the other end a square box 129 received in a recess 131 in thesubstantially radially extending arm 138. The arm 133, which may beguided on the frame at 135, maybe oscillated substantially radially bymeans of a suitably grooved cam 137 conveniently centrally located andcarried by the shaft of the large gear 37. The recess 131 in the arm,which receives the box 129 secured to bell crank 127, is provided with ashoulder 139, marked on the upright arm in Fig. 3, which normallyconfines the box 129 in suchmanner that it moves radially with the arm,the arm being drawn to the left in Fig. 3 by a spring 1 11 normally tohold the shoulder in engagement with the box 1.29. Thus, in the usualoperation of the press, as the arm 133 is oscillated by the cam the bellcrank 127 will be rocked to break toggle 123 at the proper time to drawthe impression roll 19 out of contact with the plate roll 17. The boxes129 may be disengaged from shoulders 139 as by means of levers 1 13operated by handles 1 15 when it is desired to interrupt the regularrecurrentoperation of the throwoff mechanism and the arms 133 will thenreciprocate idly under the action of cam 137 without rocking bell cranks127.

In the example of the invention shown (Fig. the paper fed to the pressfrom a receiving roll 14-7 rotating substantially tangent to -heoylindric path. of the sheet through the press and exteriorly theretoand i r delivered to a transfer roll14l9 substantially tangent to saidpath but interiorly thereto. Both these rolls rotate at the same linearspeed as the gripper bars 19 and the trans fer roll 149 brings the paperinto the cylindric path and deliversit to the gripper bar 19. After thepaper has been printed on, a similar transfer roll 151 receives it thegripper bar and delivers delivery mechanism 153.

Having thus described in detail the form of my invention shown by way oftion in the accompany'ag drawii principles exemplified thereby whichmight as embodied in other mechanical forms and it to suitable I rromwith different combinations which I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1 shall express in the following claims.

Claims 1. In a printing press a. series of printing couples, means fordrawing a sheet forward through a path passing through the contact linesof the couples, supporting surfaces to hold the sheet in the path andpneumatic means between adjacent couples constructed and arranged tomaintain a retarding si "tion of constant strength on the sheet duringits passage from one couple to another.

2. In a printing press the construction defined in claim 1 wherein thepath defined by the supporting surface and the contact lines of thecouples is cylindrical.

8. In a. printing; press a printing couple, a cylindric surface forsupper ng the sheet and defining a path through the contact line of thecouple, means for drawing a sheet forward along the surface and throughthe couple and suction means operating on the sheet'closely adjacent theintake side of the couple solely.

i. 111 a printing press a printing couple, a cylindric surface forsupporting the sheet and defining a path through the contact line of thecouple, means for drawing a sheet forward along the surface and throughthe couple and suction means 0 crating on the sheet closely adjacent theintake side of the couple solely and means to render said suction meansefl'eotwe solely while the sheet overlies the same.

In a printing press a printing couple, fined supporting means for thesheet defining a pat through the contact line of the couple, means foradvancing a sheet along the path, ports opening to said surface solelyin the near vicinity of the couple and means to exhaust air through saidports governed to operate solely while the sheet overlies the ports.

6. in a printiun' press a series of printing; couples, means fordrawing; a sheet forward through a path passing through the contactlines of the couples, fixed supporting surfaces to hold sheet in thepath, ports opening through said surfaces along limited areas adjacentthe couples and means to exhaust air through said ports governed tooperate solely while the sheet overlies the ports.

7. In a press as described, a printingcouple, a fixed supporting surfaceleading to the bite thereof, ports opening through the surface adjacentthe couple, a header beneath the surface and nozzles extendin from theheader toward the contact line of the couple and communicating with saidports.

8. in a printing press a series of printing couples, an orbitallymovable carrier for advancing sheets therethrough, pneumatic means atseparated points in the orbit acting on a sheet in its travel anddistributing valve selectively operating said means in correlation withthe travel of the sheet.

9. In a orintin press a series of printin l a: 1 1 is couples rangedaround the surface of a cylinder, a sheet carrier including a pair ofrotary rings and connecting gripper bars adapted to move along thecylindrical surface, pneumatic means for cont-rolling the sheet in itspassage and a rotary valve moving in correlation with the carrier forgoverning; the action of said means.

10. in a printing press a series of printing couples ranged around 4 esurface of a cyl' ler, segmental supporting surfaces between the coupleslying; in sale surface, ports opening to said surface adjacentrespective couples, conduits leading to said ports, a sheetcarrier-including apair of rotary rings and connecting gripper barsadapted to move along the cylindrical sur face and a rotary valve movingin correlation with the carrier for controlling the conduits.

11.111 a press in combination witl series of plate cylinders rangedabout a cylindric path, a rotary device for advancsheets said path,pneumatic means controlling he sheets and a rotary. valve concentricwith said cylinder governing said pneumatic means. I

12, in a press in combination with a series of printing couples rangedabout a cylindric path, supporting surfaces corresponding to segments ofthe cylinder between successive couples, rotary elements at the bases ofthe cylinder, grippers connecting them exteriorly of the cylinder,pneumatic means for controlling sheets on said. surfaces and a rotaryvalve concentric with said cylinder governing said pneumatic means.

13. In a press as described a series of printing couples having contactlines corre sponding to elements of a cylinder, fixed supportingsurfaces between the couples corresponding to segments of the cylinder,gripper means movable externally of said surface to draw a sheet alongthe same and brushes for holding the sheet against said surfacesdisplaceable by said means.

14. 111 a press as described a series of printing couples having contactlines corresponding to elements of a cylinder, fixed supporting surfacesbetween the couples corresponding to segments of the cylinder, grippermeans movable externally of said surface to draw a sheet along the sameand series of brushes adjustably spaced lengthwise of the cylinder forholding the sheet against said surfaces and displaceable by said means.

l l l.)

15. In a press as described a series of printing couples having contactlines corresponding to elements of a cylinder, fixed supporting surfacesbetween the couples corresponding to segments of the cylinder, grippermeans movable externally of said surface to draw a sheet along the same,radially movable bars adjacent the couples extending lengthwise of thecylinder, brushes carried thereby and means associated with the grippermeans for reciprocating said bars.

16. In a press as described a series of printing couples having contactlines corresponding to elements of a cylinder, fixed supporting surfacesbetween the couples corresponding to segments of the cylinder, grippermeans movable externally of said surface to draw a sheet along thesame,rad.ially movable bars adjacent the couples extending lengthwise ofthe cylinder, brushes mounted thereon for longitudinal adjustmenttherealong and means associated with the gipper means for reciprocatingsaid bars.

17. In a press a plate cylinder, means for engaging the leading edge ofa sheet to advance it beneath the cylinder, means for supporting thesheet inwardly thereof during its travel, a bar exterior of the sheetextending parallel to the cylinder and brushes adjustable along saidbar.

18. In a press a plate cylinder, means for engaging the leading edge ofa sheet to advance it beneath the cylinder, means for supporting thesheet inwardly thereof during its travel, a bar exterior of the sheetextending parallel to the cylinder and brushes adjustable along said barand also adjustable inwardly and outwardly.

19. In a printing press, a printing couple, a cylindric surface forsupporting the sheet and defining a path through the contact line of thecouple, a gripper bar movable over said surface for advancing a sheet byengagement with its leading edge, means for pressing the sheet againstthe surface and cam means on the gripper bar to bring said means intocontact with the sheet.

20. In a printing press, a printing couple,

a cylindric surface for supporting the sheet sheet, devices for holdingthe sheet against the support and cam means moving with the gripper forlifting, said devices and lowering them against the sheet.

22. A press comprising, in combination, a

rotary carrier having grlpper means forengaging sheets, a plate cylindersubstantially tangent to the path of the sheet, brush carriers fixedadjacent the path of the sheet but movable toward and from the same andmeans movable with the carrier for lifting the brush carriers andthereafter lowering the brushes into contact with thesheet.

23. In a press as described, means for supporting the sheet inwardly,gripper means for engaging the front edge of the sheet, a barreciprocable adjacent the path of the sheet, brush holders adjustablealong the bar and cam means adjacent the gripper means and movabletherewith for operating the bar.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES A. MEISEL

